Sean Strickland, the enigmatic force inside the Octagon, has always raised eyebrows with his unorthodox training methods. Luke Rockhold, former UFC middleweight champion, recently shed light on the unconventional sparring habits of the man known as ‘Tarzan.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a recent episode of the JAXXON Podcast, Rockhold vividly described the first encounter with Strickland at the now-closed RVCA gym. The gym, under the guidance of Jason Parillo, witnessed the unbridled energy of ‘Tarzan’ in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rockhold painted a picture of Strickland as the fighter who “doesn’t care” during sparring sessions. He revealed, “He’ll try to kill you.” The atmosphere at RVCA was set when Rockhold, still recovering from a hangover, encountered Strickland’s brash demeanor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recalling a particular sparring session, Rockhold disclosed, “We got into a f***ing little brawl for one round.” Despite being a tricky opponent, Rockhold emphasized the intensity of the encounter. He even resorted to an improvised mouthguard with a paper towel during the hungover session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fast forward to UFC 297, where Strickland faced Dricus du Plessis. Despite being dethroned in the main event, ‘Tarzan’ left an indelible mark on the UFC landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eric Nicksick, Strickland’s coach at Xtreme Couture MMA, appeared on The Anik & Florian Podcast to discuss the unexpected loss. He pointed out a missing element in Strickland’s performance, stating, “There was an edge to him that I usually see, that I didn’t feel in my fighter.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n